https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Subscribe to GovPro
    • Manage GovPro Subscription
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
acc.com

Public Safety


Article

Poll respondents taking a stand on standing desks (with related video)

Poll respondents taking a stand on standing desks (with related video)

Daneen Kiger, Vice-President, Global Marketing at St. Paul, Minn.-based Ergotron offers some insight on the GPN-American City & County poll on standing desks. Kiger discusses the health benefits of standing desks.
  • Written by mikekeat
  • 25th September 2015

The results are in from a GPN-American City & County poll on standing desks in the office: many of the 314 voters appreciate standing desks. About 53 percent (165 votes) believe standing desks boost productivity.

About 39 percent (122 votes) agreed with this statement on the ballot: More of my co-workers will be doing their jobs at standing desks in the future.

Daneen Kiger, Vice-President, Global Marketing at St. Paul, Minn.-based Ergotron, offers some insight on the poll results and standing desks. Her views follow. Go to this site to view the full line of Ergotron sit-stand products for the office. The image below on the left shows an Ergotron WorkFit-T sit-stand product.

GPN: Will more offices/workplaces start using standing desks in 2016?

Daneen Kiger: There will definitely be wider adoption in 2016. We are in fact really only beginning to scratch the surface of the potential standing desk market. When you look at every office environment, every computer desk or terminal, there is potential for that station to be replaced by a sit/stand alternative workstation.

Studies have proven that employee morale, health and productivity all receive a boost when these units are introduced. Our own studies also show that employee requests for a sit/stand desk option as a workplace benefit are on the increase, so we fully expect the trend to not only to continue, but also to increase in 2016 and beyond.

Other clues like web trends show “standing desks” key words/phrases trending up over traditional desk mounts or desks. Plus, mainstream media has fully embraced the trend, and the average computer user is more likely now, than ever before, to understand the risks and to take action on their own pain. We see more and more employees championing this with their HR teams too, versus it being driven just from the top down to the staff in the chairs.

Certainly, there are many viable solutions for governments and other organizations now too, depending on their budgets, to address not only their at-risk employees who sit the longest, but also, to take proactive measures to help keep their healthy employees healthy for years to come.

GPN: Are standing desks a healthy alternative to government staff and other workers?

DK: Absolutely. Excessive sitting throughout the day has been proven to be as dangerous as smoking a pack or more of cigarettes each day, and can quickly counteract the benefits of exercise and a healthier diet.

A few key stats show that excessive sitting has been cited as a key risk factor in four of the top seven U.S. killers: heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. It has also been linked to obesity and mortality rates. Key fat burners shut off the minute we sit. For every two hours spent just sitting reduces blood flow, raises blood sugar and drops good cholesterol levels by 20 percent. Daily exercise is not enough to counteract sitting disease.

If you are a physically inactive person, you are at “significant risk” for becoming ill due to certain diseases. Even if you are physically active, you are still at “high risk” for contracting disease if you are too sedentary during the workday.

Many of the top experts are beginning to suggest changing seated to standing postures every 30 minutes, but this isn’t always possible for workers who have to stay productive at their workstation. By allowing the workstation to move with the worker, they can achieve the body relief they need from these posture changes and stay working. Plus, the added benefit of fewer health claims relating to back and neck issues keeps workers in the office and focused as well.

We see sit-stand solutions across all markets now, with broad adoption into healthcare, education, government and businesses. Plus, health organizations like the American Medical Association are beginning to address this. A policy from 2013 stated employers should offer alternatives to workers who sit for prolonged periods, like standing desks. And as your GPN-American City & County poll indicates, workers want them. An Ipsos public affair survey found 70 percent of workers would use a sit-stand desk if their employers offered it.

GPN: Thank you, Daneen Kiger, for your views.

The video shows how the Ergotron WorkFit-T easily converts your a desktop into a flexible sit-stand workstation.

_____________

To get connected and stay up-to-date with similar content from American City & County:
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Watch us on Youtube

Tags: Administration Public Safety Public Works & Utilities Smart Cities & Technology Article

Related


  • 2020 Crown Communities winner: Harris County, Texas, Precinct 2's ACCESS2HEALTH SmartPod
    Precinct 2 of Harris County, Texas, implemented a medical college’s innovative epidemiological technology to bring COVID-19 testing to its vulnerable residents. However, the precinct’s initiative and this technology could influence pandemic response across the country. Of all four precincts in Harris County, Texas, Precinct 2 has the lowest median life expectancy, the highest percentage of […]
  • How technology can ensure equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine
    For more than a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the United States, leaving millions infected and more than 500,000 dead. There are now multiple vaccines being distributed to snuff out the spread of this deadly disease. However, the real challenge will be immunizing all Americans who want the shot. Urban areas have the resources, […]
  • American City & County's 2020 Exemplary Public Servant of the Year Award
    Nominees for American City & County's Exemplary Public Servant of the Year award are judged on their recent accomplishments and the impact these actions had on their communities
  • American City & County’s 2020 Crown Communities Awards
    Projects nominated for American City & County's annual Crown Communities Awards are judged on uniqueness, short- and long-term value to the community and effective/innovative financing.

2 comments

  1. Avatar [email protected] 14th October 2015 @ 8:42 pm
    Reply

    We’ve implemented a number of
    We’ve implemented a number of these in our workplace. While we’ve had some staff ask to have the standing desks removed, most of our workers love the option of standing sometimes, including me.

  2. Avatar mikekeat 9th December 2015 @ 5:04 pm
    Reply

    Thank you for your views.
    Thank you for your views. What’s the biggest benefit of standing desks for workers?

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Six tips for making sure your dispatch is doing all the right moves
  • Artificial cities could pave the way to driverless adoption
  • How city leaders can develop, manage and maintain strategic partnerships
  • Baltimore will distribute recycling carts to residents to encourage recycling

White papers


Discover How Public Sector Officials are Monitoring and Managing Overtime in This New White Paper

22nd February 2021

How to Assemble a Successful Government Grant Proposal

5th February 2021

The Rise of Procurement’s Next Normal

5th February 2021
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

2020 Crown Communities winner: El Paso County, Texas’ pretrial justice modernization dlvr.it/Rv4GKL

6th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

A city’s innovative downtown master plan sees future in local, inclusive placemaking dlvr.it/Rv3SfM

5th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

2020 Crown Communities winner: Gainesville, Fla. closes Dignity Village and houses its homeless population dlvr.it/Rv1GS2

5th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

2020 Crown Communities Winner: South Bay Cities Council of Governments’ South Bay Fiber Network dlvr.it/Rv10b7

5th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

Senate American Rescue Plan includes more than $60 million in direct aid for counties dlvr.it/RtzvBK

4th March 2021
AmerCityCounty

ASCE releases 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure dlvr.it/Rtvck5

3rd March 2021
AmerCityCounty

Updating the assessor report: A new approach dlvr.it/RttvDv

3rd March 2021
AmerCityCounty

2020 Crown Communities winner: Phases 2 and 3 of Minot, N.D.’s Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Plan dlvr.it/RtrWMC

3rd March 2021

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X